The pork and hominy-rich posole, above, is among the favorites at Gallardo's on the Mission-SoMa border in San Francisco. Birria, far right, is served weekends and offers pleasantly gamey pieces of lamb, piquant broth and garnishes of diced onions, cilantro, dried oregano, crushed chiles and lime.

A breakfast craving led me to Juan Gallardo's Mexican restaurant on the Mission-SoMa border. Huevos con chorizo, served with rice, beans and piping-hot homemade corn tortillas ($6.75), was the perfect dish - generous and satisfying.

The menu offers other Mexican favorites, like tacos ($2-$2.50), tortas ($5.50), burritos ($4.75-$6.50), combination plates ($7.50-$12) and an assortment of carnes, including a solid rendition of chile verde de puerco ($8.50) made with chunks of tender pork in a tomatillo-rich sauce.

However, soup is where Gallardo's truly shines. Albondigas, with plump meatballs and abundance of vegetables ($6 small/$7 large) is pure comfort, as is the pork and hominy-rich pozole ($6/$7).